NEWAYGO COUNTY. cine under the instruction of his uncle, Benjamin Norton, of his native town. He attended lectures at the University of Buffalo and completed his course at Bellevue Medical College, New York city. After graduating and receiving his diploma in February, 1873, he returned to his native home and remained a year, and then came to this State, and in 1875 located in Alleyton, this county, and entered upon the practice of his profession. He has met with flattering success in the practice of his profession, and is endowed with sufficient energy and studiousness to place him foremost among the practitioners of the State. Doctor Norton was married March 7, 1878, to Miss Sarah A., daughter of John and Cornelia (Haight) Grumley, natives of New England. She was born in North Newberg, Shiawassee County, this State, Aug. 2, 1855, and remained at home until her marriage. Mrs. Norton received all the advantages which the common schools afforded. Her parents took considerable pains in her musical education, and she, having a desire to excel in that line, threw all her energy into the study and accomplished her fond hope by becoming proficient in the art, and previous to her marriage was engaged in teaching the same. Mr. and Mrs. Norton have one child, Fanny M., born July 9, 1879. Mr. Norton is now serving in the capacity of Health Officer in his township and practicing his profession. F rank A. Basford, farmer, section 30, Troy Township, was born in Aroostook Co., Maine, June 19, 1837, and is a son of John and Statira (Frisbie) Basford. His father was a native of Maine, and followed the calling of a lumberman until his death, Dec. 23, 1881. The mother was born in New Hampshire, and died Feb. 20, 1883. ing the Rebellion was the topic of all discussions. Mr. Basford enlisted in December, 1861, in the Sixth Ohio Reg. Vol. Inf. After a service of 20 months he was discharged, and returned to the Buckeye State, where he engaged in farming. He came thence to Ludington, Mich., and engaged with George W. Roby in the lumber business. The association continued seven years. When it was terminated he came to Newaygo County and resumed farming in Troy Township. He was married in Trumbull Co., Ohio, in 1861, to Julia R. Wiseman, a native of the same county. She died in 1873, leaving four children: Job, John F., Henry S. and Mary. Mr. Basford was again married in 1876, to Mary E., daughter of Anson and Elizabeth (Rhodes) Freeman, born respectively in New York and Pennsylvania. One of the three children born of the latter marriage is deceased,Milo M. The living are Bessie S. and an infant. Mr. Basford is a Democrat in politics, has been Township Clerk one year and Supervisor four years. ames H. Darling, merchant, Fremont, was born in New York, Dec. 13, 1841. His parents, Alexander and Lovina (Carpenter) Darling, were natives of New York, where they were married, and came to Michigan in an early day, settling in Newaygo County where they now reside. At the age of 13 James H. left home and went to live with his grandfather, where he remained four years, attending school nearly two years. At the expiration of this time he purchased a one-half interest in a threshing-machine. Two machines were purchased: one for clover, which was operated during the winter season, and the other during the summer. This business he followed four years. In the spring of 1862, Mr. Darling left the State of New York and came to Mr. Basford was educated in the common schools Fremont. He first bought an interest in a saw-mill, of his native county, and was bred to the calling of which he has since retained, although the mill has his father, with whom he worked until he was 20 been burned and rebuilt in the meantime. He has years of age. He came to Ohio in 1857, where he bought and sold thousands of acres of land, mostly remained six years, engaged in a machine shop. He pine, and now owns a one-half interest in 400 acres went thence to the oil regions of Pennsylvania. One in Newaygo County. In 1868 he purchased oneand a half years later he enlisted. The war was an half interest in the store of Reynolds & Clendenestablished fact, and the need of men to aid in quell-ning, which consisted of general merchandise, and NEWAYGO COUNTY. was known under the name of Darling & Reynolds. This partnership closed in less than two years, by Mr. Reynolds selling his interest to a man named Floyd Misner, and the firm was known as Darling & Misner. This partnership continued between two and three years, when Mr. Darling bought out Mr. Misner, and has since carried on the business alone. He has the largest store of this character to be found in the county. Mr. Darling is identified with all the reforms of the day, and is particularly interested in all that pertains to educational matters. He is President of the Darling Milling Company, which was organized in the spring of 1883; has held the office of Councilman for three years, and is a member of the Masonic Order. He has never wished for office, owing to the pressing demands of his business interests. Mr. Darling was married in this county, to Alma, daughter of Arza and Adaline Tibbitts, who was born in Canada. Mr. and Mrs. Darling have had three children: Brittie M., Willard, who died at the age of six years, and Ralph, who died at the age of one and a half years. runa Dake, farmer, section 35, Denver Township, was born in Erie Co., N. Y., April 6, 1823. His parents, Benjamin and Polly (Colby) Dake, were natives of Vermont, and of English and Dutch-Irish ancestry. They first settled in Allegany Co., N. Y., and afterward in Erie County. Mr. Dake's early education was obtained in the common schools of his native county, and was such as usually fell to the lot of farmers' sons in those days. He labored on his father's farm until 22 years of age, when he left home and came to this State, locating in the town of Richland, Kalamazoo County. He then went to Wyoming Co., N. Y., and married Miss Esther A. Hayes, May 4, 1847. She was the daughter of James Hayes, a native of New England and of English descent, and was born in Wyoming Co., N. Y., March 30, 1828, where she was educated, having lived most of the time with a distant relative. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Dake returned to Kalamazoo Co., Mich., where Mr. Dake worked in a sawmill until the spring of 1849, when he removed to 457 Barry County and followed farming. In the winter of 1856 he came to this county and settled in Denver Township, where he has since lived on a farm of 120 acres, 60 of which are well cultivated. He has also erected good buildings. April 19, 1883, his wife. died at her home, leaving four children. Their names and births are as follows: Sarah R., April 10, 1852; Andrew D., July 15, 1854; Arthur B., Nov. 9, 1860; Alfred J., April 25, 1863; Alvin A., born Dec. 10, 1849, died Feb. 5, 1871; Gay H., born June 2, 1868, died March 3, 1869. Mr. Dake has held the offices of Justice of the Peace and School Inspector, and is devoted to the interests of the Republican party. Himself and wife were earnest members of the M. E. Church. S olomon V. Walker, farmer, section 5, Dayton Township, is a son of Elias and Eveline (Griswold) Walker, and was born in Berrien Co., Mich., Aug. 20, 1838. His father was a native of Vermont and his mother of New York. They were married in the latter State, and moved to Berrien County about the year 1833, where his father purchased a tract of good land, which he cleared, and remained there until the death of his wife; after which event he sold his farm and moved to Van Buren County, bought another farm, and lived there until his death, which occurred in 1856. Solomon V. was educated in the common schools, and remained at home until 22 years of age. He then worked on a farm by the month, and in the woods, lumbering, for two years. In the spring of 1860 he came to Newaygo County and purchased 80 acres of Government land under the Gradation Act, and soon after returned to Berrien County, remaining only one summer. He continued to improve his land, working during the fall and winter months, for three years. He has since added, by purchase, 120 acres, and now owns an excellent farm of 200 acres, 125 of which is well cultivated. He was married in Berrien County, Aug. 1, 1862, to Nannie M., daughter of James and Mary (Mellor) Dean, who was born in England, March 8, 1841. Her parents were also natives of England; they came to America in 1839 and settled in Pennsylvania, and afterward moved to NEWAYGO COUNTY. Berrien Co., Mich., where they still reside. Mrs. Walker remained at home until her marriage, with the exception of two years, when she was engaged in teaching. Mr. and Mrs. Walker have had seven children: Mary E., Margaret E., Charles V., Elenora J., Alice I., Solomon J., and George E. Sept. 2, 1864, Mr. Walker enlisted in the 21st Reg. Mich. Inf., and served till the close of the war, receiving an honorable discharge June 8, 1865. He was with Sherman in his celebrated march to the sea, and in the battle of Bentonville, N. C. He held the office of Highway Commissioner three years, School Director several years; was elected Justice of the Peace but declined to serve. He was elected Supervisor of Dayton Township in the spring of 1883, which office he now fills. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and a charter member of Hesperian Grange, P. of H., No. 495; was chosen the first Master. In politics he sympathizes with the National party. S J. Murphy, Jr., foreman for the lumber firm of Crepin, Murphy & Sons, is the manager of their interests in Beaver Township. They owned a large tract of land, establishing their business there in 1878. One million feet of lumber is cut and put in White River yearly, and is floated in the Muskegon River to Montague, where their extensive lumber mills are situated. Their possessions in Newaygo County include about 4,000 acres of pine land, and they employ a laboring force of about 200 men and 60 teams. P. O., Montague, Mich. enry Homes, farmer, section 5, Dayton Township, was born in Ontario Co., N. Y., Nov. 3, 1832. His parents, William and Dennis (Winchell) Homes, were natives of Berkshire Co., Mass. They came to Lenawee Co., Mich., in 1853, and lived there about three years, then moved to Hillsdale County, where the father died in 1858 and the mother in the fall of 1865. Henry lived with his parents during their life, and for a long time was their sole support. He was the 12th lonzo Yates, merchant, farmer and lumberman, section 18, Troy Township, was born Aug. 31, 1842, in Niagara Co., N. Y. He is a son of Gilbert and Polly (Hunt) Yates, and both parents were natives of the Empire State. They removed to Wisconsin in its pioneer days. His father lost his life in a river which he was crossing on the ice, driving a yoke of oxen. The latter were saved. The mother of the subject of this sketch resides near Almont, Lapeer Co., Mich. Mr. Yates was ten years old when he lost his father, and two years later he became an inmate of the family of a Mr. Hallock, and was employed as a farm laborer on his extensive estate until he became of age, and received a fair common-school education. On reaching the age of 21 years he determined to advance in life if it was within the reach of effort, aided by ambition and industry. In the fall of 1863 he made his way to Newaygo County, where he entered a claim of 120 acres of land in Troy (then Beaver) Township, under the provisions of the Homestead Act. He was the earliest settler on section 18, where the echoing ring of his ax was the first sound produced for the purpose of making a permanent settlement. He cleared a patch and built a house literally of logs, the casings even being constructed of hewn logs. Not a piece of sawn timber was in the whole structure. He had ten dollars in money as a working capital, and all his supplies were carried on his back a distance of ten miles. From his small beginning under the most. trying circumstances he has brought success, and now owns 200 acres of land in Troy Township and 320 acres of land in Oceana County, lying opposite to his tract in Newaygo County, constituting a most magnificent farm of 520 acres of land beautifully situated, and containing 425 acres in finely improved |